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AI has just been kicked out of the game.
Major League Baseball effectively banned the practice of using iPads during games to access artificial intelligence tools and the use of AI to shape in-game strategies.
Teams installed custom apps that pushed the boundaries of technology guidelines as the iPads were used “beyond their original intended purpose to include recommendations regarding substitutions, pitch calling and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches,” according to a memo from the commissioner’s office obtained by Pakinomist Digital.
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An iPad sits in the dugout during an MLB game between the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on May 21, 2026. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The league memo on AI and iPads was issued June 11, with the ban taking effect Wednesday before teams resume play after the All-Star break. As many as a third of the league used iPads for reasons beyond its intended use, according to The Athletic’s report.
The league’s review of the use of technology found that no team violated MLB’s rules on the theft of signs and the use of electronic devices.
“You have to stop the cheating before it happens now,” one front office executive told The Athletic.
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Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge look at an iPad during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY on May 24, 2026. (Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On MLB-issued iPads, there are three tabs: the first contains MLB-supplied Statcast data and multiple video angles, the second contains data related to the automatic ball impact (ABS) system, and the third was a custom tab where teams installed apps. The third tab is now banned by the league.
Rules have been implemented to try to reduce the amount of live information going into iPads. In-game video is only available on a delay, and rules are posted in all clubhouses that prevent non-field personnel from entering the dugout.
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Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers checks an iPad in the dugout during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on May 10, 2026. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
It’s not known exactly how many teams used iPads with live, in-game information, but the league’s decision to suspend the use of artificial intelligence now ensures that all shots will be called by humans.
The Athletic was the first to report on the limitations of AI on iPads.
